Frances Gravley

Frances Elizabeth South Gravley

July 11, 1917 - September 10, 2014



Frances Elizabeth Gravley passed away Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at age 97 in Abilene, TX. The celebration of her life will be at Comanche Trail Church of Christ on Saturday, September 13, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. with Loran Harper, Jerry Lawlis, and Jerry Klein officiating.

She was born July 11, 1917 to Ralph & Josie (Springer) South in Wichita, Kansas. Frances' mother Josie died with pneumonia when Frances was only 15 months old, and Frances lived with her Aunt Josie and Uncle Alva Gallon until she was about 4 years old. Then she went with her father and step-mother Hattie Steiner South to live for a while in California. From age 6 to 8, Frances lived with her Grandma Elvira South in Wichita, Kansas, but her health was bad, so then she lived with her Aunt Millie & Uncle Alfred Anderson and their daughter, Rose Guida, until she started the third grade.  At that time she was sent to live with her widowed Aunt Mary Springer Simon who already had 10 children in Amarillo, TX. Frances worked for room and board with two families--Key and Juanita Furr and Mr. and Mrs. George Roots, so Frances could attend St. Mary's Catholic High School, where she graduated in May 1936.

Frances liked history and bookkeeping, and thought she wanted to be a nurse until she met John Vester Gravley, known as "Jake," and they were married November 7, 1936, by Robert C. Jones in Amarillo, Texas. She worked at an office about a year and Jake worked at Carlton Grocery. On October 23, 1937 their daughter, Sharon Joanne Gravley, was born. They farmed at Afton, Texas, later moving back to Amarillo, where Jake got a job with Soncy Helium Plant. Then the US Government transferred them to a Helium Plant in Cunningham, Kansas for 2 years. They developed great friends there--Darden and Alta Merrill, Bob and Myrna McBurney, and when the government transferred them to Anvil Points Oil Shale Demonstration Plant, 10 miles west of Rifle, Colorado, their friends were transferred with them. So they enjoyed those families and enjoyed the mountains, hunting, and fishing, and Frances especially enjoyed doing embroidery work, and watching Sharon's activities in band, sports, church, and church camp. Thanks to Alta Merrill, their neighbor and best friend, Jake, Frances, and Sharon were baptized for the remission of their sins, and became faithful members of the Church of Christ. More special friends there were Edith and Kenny Wilson. Frances saw lots of inventions in her life time--television, computers, digital phones, cell phones, landing on the moon, orbiting around Mars, vaccines for measles, polio, chicken pox, modern washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, and modern cars.

When the US Government closed the Anvil Points Oil Shale Demonstration Plant, they moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, where Frances worked at Dunkin Blueprint Company from 1952-1959. Frances was known for her hospitality of all ages. In 1959 Jake and Frances moved back to Amarillo to work again with the Soncy Helium Plant. Jake's mother, Ludie Gravley, and his 3 sisters--Lillian Clark, Ruby Tyler, and Ida Pearl Haynie--now lived there, and Frances enjoyed having family picnics and reunions in Thompson Park.  In January 1961 they became foster parents for Ruby Louise Martin, 13 at the time, and when she was 18 years old, they were able to officially adopt her. Some years later they became foster parents for identical twin girls, Beth and Becky, until they were later adopted. Frances always loved children and children always loved her.

In 1969 the US Government transferred Jake to the Helium Plant in Keyes, OK, where Frances taught Bible classes, helped with crafts at Black Mesa Bible Camp, did ceramics, painted china, towels, and pillow cases, did embroidery work and won blue ribbons at the county fairs. During these 11 years, she also began collecting spoons from different nations, states, and continents.

After December 17, 1979 when Jake had a heart attack, the government retired him, so they moved back to Amarillo, and later Frances nursed Jake back to health after he had a knee replacement. Frances and John (as he became known instead of Jake) filled their retirement years with World Bible School correspondence courses, visiting the sick and lonely, preparing food for funerals, having a "card ministry," playing "hand and foot," while being active members at Southwest, Lawndale, and Comanche Trail Churches of Christ in Amarillo, and attending Red River Family Encampment each June in Red River, NM.

In 1986 they celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary at the Grand Old Opry in Nashville, TN that summer, and on November 7th, they celebrated with 175 friends and family their Golden Anniversary. John died of cancer in November 1994, having celebrated 58 years of a loving marriage, and Frances continued living in their Amarillo home until 2005, when she and her miniature Schnauzer "Heidi," went to live with Fred and Sharon in Stamford, TX. There, she became a "Pink Lady" with the Stamford Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, volunteering in the Gift Shop, continuing her "card ministry," doing ceramics with granddaughter Liz Grayson, actively worshiping with the Orient St. Church of Christ, and making her favorite lemon meringue pies and cherry cheesecake pies. On her 90th birthday, she was greeted by family and friends at the Stamford Church Fellowship room, and a special friend, Sharon Owens in Amarillo, planned  her 92nd celebration at the Comanche Trail congregation in Amarillo, where she saw many friends and family that she had not seen in years. For 8.5 years she lived with Fred and Sharon and developed friendships in Stamford and Abilene, especially with Cris Grounds, Carol Walker, and the Dick Garretts.

On March 19, 2014, Frances entered Stamford's hospital, having skilled nursing until May 7, when she was transferred to Northern Oaks Rehabilitation for physical, occupational, and speech therapies. In July she was moved into Residence care there celebrating her 97th birthday on July 11. She suffered with Alzheimer's, and Hospice was called in on August 29. Although losing family in her younger years, her family has grown throughout her 97 years by her love of family and friends, making her special to all who knew her. She loved children of all ages, pets, and birds. She enjoyed 6 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandkids. The only problem was that they lived too many miles away-- Colorado, Washington, Louisiana, South Carolina, Philippines--to see them often.

Preceding Frances in death was her husband John Gravley; her adopted daughter Ruby Louise Gallagher; her parents; her mother-in-law Ludie Ida Gravley; 3 sisters-in-law.

Surviving her is daughter Sharon & son-in-law Fred Selby of Stamford, TX; son-in-law Mike Gallagher of Hereford, TX;  grandchildren Philip Reed (Melissa) of Denver, CO; Robin (Johnny) Eastep of Taclobin, Leyte, Philippines; Liz Grayson of Colorado Springs, CO; Michelle Bennett of Bossier City, LA; Tommy Gallagher of Amarillo, TX; Shane (Jeannie) Gallagher of Odessa, TX; great grandchildren Lauren (Jordan) Amburgey; Alyshia, Amber, & Aaron Grayson; Chelsea (Mike) Castillo; Nathan Eastep; Alissa Gallagher; 3 great-great grands--Lyman, Assyria, & Conner; cousins and many, many friends.



In lieu of flowers, Memorial contributions may be made to High Plains Children's Home, PO Box 7448, Amarillo, TX 79114 or Project Philippines, SW Church of Christ, 4515 Cornell, Amarillo, TX 79109.

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